Chapter 3 of Alice Adams is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Alice Adams is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence. “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful. “'Say?'” Alice repeated, impatiently. “Why, nothing. I didn't let him.
Chapter 3 of Alice Adams is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
the state of being absent
From this reading “Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.”
American Revolutionary leader and patriot; an organizer of the Boston Tea Party and signer of the Declaration of Independence (1722-1803)
From this reading “Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.”
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading “Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.”
possessive form of “daughter” — a female human offspring
From this reading “Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.”
having or manifesting hope
From this reading ““What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.”
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading ““'Say?'” Alice repeated, impatiently.”
lasting for a markedly brief time
From this reading “Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.”
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading “Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
the state of being absent
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
American Revolutionary leader and patriot; an organizer of the Boston Tea Party and signer of the Declaration of Independence (1722-1803)
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “'Say?'” Alice repeated, impatiently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
possessive form of “daughter” — a female human offspring
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I didn't let him.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I didn't let him.
having or manifesting hope
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I didn't let him.
with impatience; in an impatient manner
From this reading “'Say?'” Alice repeated, impatiently.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading I didn't let him.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
lasting for a markedly brief time
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “Why, nothing.
with speed
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
recurring again and again
From this reading “'Say?'” Alice repeated, impatiently.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
express in words
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mrs. Adams had remained in Alice's room, but her mood seemed to have changed, during her daughter's little more than momentary absence.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What did he SAY?” she asked, quickly, and her tone was hopeful.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why, nothing.
Chapter 3 of Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington holds 116 sentences, grouped into 24 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 3 holds 116 sentences of Alice Adams, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 sentences, grouped into 24 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5996 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #980 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #980, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 499 minutes of reading across 1200 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Alice Adams section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Alice Adams to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Alice Adams, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
